Frozen Heart
by Mackenzie32
Summary: When Mac's opponents decide to get SERIOUS revenge on him after a race, and Brodi breaks Mac's heart, Mac is sent over the edge. Will Brodi be able to save him? MacBrodi. PAY ATTENTION TO WARNINGS! Some lemon! R&R please :)
1. The Race

Chapter 1: The Race

Moby. Psymon. Luther. Brodi. JP. And, of course, Mac. Surrounded by his most bitter of enemies, all Mac wanted to do was get through Garibaldi in one piece. But he knew that was highly unlikely. As the starting countdown started, more and more adrenaline pumped through his veins. He couldn't lose; he couldn't embarrass himself in front of the world again…

The race was on and from the start; Mac took down Luther and Psymon in two shoves. Laughing proudly the whole time until Luther knocked him down at the bottom of the drop, and Moby came to smack him upside the head just for kicks. Enraged, Mac was now involved in a furious, violent pursuit.

As the finish line approached, Mac had knocked down all of his opponents at least once, except for Brodi, and Mac had in turn been knocked down 7 times. It was the most brutal race he could remember. 100 yards, 90, 80… Psymon was dead even with him, and flailing his arms wildly, trying desperately to knock Mac down. But Mac growled and grabbed Psymon's arm, nearly throwing himself off balance, and threw Psymon aside, gliding through the last 10 yards of the race and across the finish line.

"YES!" Mac cried, overcome with joy, and of course, cockiness. He beamed at the crowd all around him, listening to them all chanting his name was euphoric. He stood in the winner's circle long after all of his opponents had left. Luther and Psymon each had the nerve to hit Mac hard on the head as they walked past him, making their way back to the lodge.

For about 30 minutes after the race was over, Mac stayed to sign autographs, take pictures with fans, etc. Finally, after the crowd thinned out, he trudged up to the lodge, completely exhausted. He just wanted to collapse on a couch by the fire and take a nice long nap…


	2. Beyond Hell

Chapter Two: Beyond Hell

WARNINGS: VIOLENCE, nudity

The lodge was in view and Mac dragged his board along behind him, up the large, steep hill. Once he arrived before the door, he paused to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead. He sighed softly and pulled open the door, his head down as he trudged inside and set his board up against the wall. It was quiet in the lodge, which was usually filled with laughter and pleasant conversation... Mac looked up slowly and blinked when he saw the half the SSX Tricky lineup staring menacingly at him.

"Uhh, is Brodi or Kaori here?" Mac asked timidly.

"Psymon, get him…" Moby grinned and started laughing as Psymon walked toward Mac, grabbing him by the collar and staring into his frightened blue eyes.

"Payback time, kid!" Psymon whispered softly in Mac's ear. He moved his face closer to Mac's, until the tips of their noses were almost touching. Mac's feet dangled about 6 inches off the ground as Psymon held him up effortlessly. Mac squeezed his eyes shut, but they snapped open again as he felt Psymon kissing him hard. He immediately cried out and started squirming, and Psymon let him drop to the floor.

"What are you DOING?!" Mac cried in surprise and fear, staring up at Psymon with wide eyes. He was shaking slightly as he watched Moby and Luther walk over to him, past Psymon. He yelled in pain as he felt a sudden sharp pain in his side; Moby had kicked him in the ribs with his snowboot. The rest of the boarders, standing by the couches, watched in amusement as the assault on Mac began.

Luther grabbed Mac by the collar and flung him over his shoulder easily, strolling casually over to a couch with a huge, putrid grin on his face and throwing Mac down onto it. Out of instinct, he curled up into a ball, at the mercy of so many full-grown adults.

Psymon took over for Luther again, forcing Mac to lie flat on the couch as he proceeded in ripping off his jacket and shirt. At this Mac started struggling violently, but Luther and JP assisted in restraining him as he was stripped naked. He was screaming and he continued struggling, but he was only hurting himself. Zoe strolled over to the couch and smacked him hard across the face. Mac gasped and fell silent.

Mac's screams went unheard by the outside world as he was stripped of all pride, dignity, and happiness.

When Mac awoke, Psymon was kissing him again and Mac sharply turned his head to the side, groaning weakly.

"Aww, Mackey's awake now… hahaha…" Psymon got off him and smacked him hard across the face before re-dressing. He and Zoe were the only ones left in the room.

"You done with him now?" Zoe asked impatiently.

"Yeah yeah yeah…" Psymon spat on the floor next to the couch that Mac was lying on. He then lifted Mac off the couch underneath his arms, leaning forward and kissing him again. As he kissed him, Psymon brought his knee up hard between Mac's legs, and Mac doubled up, gasping and falling out of Psymon's grip and onto the floor.

"See ya around, brat," Psymon laughed at the pathetic, shaking boy on the floor, then joined Zoe, walking out of the lodge with her as if nothing had happened. He heard Psymon lock the door and he groaned, knowing it would be a long time until someone found him there… if someone found him…


	3. Help Me

Chapter Three: Help Me

WARNINGS: Nudity, blood

For half an hour Mac laid on the floor, sobbing softly in a hoarse voice. He was lying on the cold floor with a crippling stomachache. All he could vaguely remember was being beaten, but he was sure more had gone on. He opened his bloodshot eyes, looking around the lodge for anyone, but of course no one was there. Mac noticed a phone on a table by the wall closest to where he was laying. Somehow he mustered the strength to drag his aching, beaten body over to it and pull it off the table to the floor where he lay. Picking it up, he dialed Brodi's cell phone number, praying that he would answer…

"Hello..?" Brodi picked up after a few rings. He had been boarding down Garibaldi when his phone had rang and had to ride off the track to answer it.

"B-Brodi… I… p-please… help me…" Mac's voice was shaking violently and he could hardly speak between his sobs. He let the phone roll out of his hand onto the floor next to where he lay, and he closed his eyes, moaning and gasping softly for air.

"Mac? Is that you?" Brodi asked in a desperate voice, he felt his stomach lurch, knowing that Mac was in severe distress. "What happened? Mac? Where are you?" When he didn't get a response, he hung up and looked around wildly. He hadn't seen Mac on the slopes since the last race. The last time he saw him was when he was walking up to the lodge…

"The lodge…" Brodi whispered and sped over to the ski lift. When he reached the top of the mountain he jumped off the lift, unstrapping his board and sprinting towards the lodge. He dropped his board outside, grabbing the door handle and jiggling it, but it was locked. "Mackenzie, open up! It's me! Are you okay in there?" When he received no response, he backed up a few paces and rammed into the door with his shoulder, bursting through and looking around wildly. His gaze finally fell upon Mac's naked, quivering form lying by the phone on the floor, and he gasped in horror.

"MACKENZIE!" He yelled and ran over to him, kneeling by him and gently turning him over onto his back. Mac cried out in pain at being touched, his whole body was sore from being beaten. "Oh my God, Mac what happened?!" He leaned over him and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, looking into his half-open eyes.

"I… they… h-help…" Mac couldn't even speak, the pain was unbearable and he felt like he was going to throw up or pass out any second. He went from quivering to shaking violently, and Brodi pulled him into his arms.

"Mackenzie… please, calm down and tell me what happened… now what did you say about Luther?" Brodi whispered softly into Mac's ear, rubbing his hand gently over his back as he cradled him in his arms.

"Everyone… I c-came in h-here and they… attacked me… all of them…" At the sound of his own explanation Mac started sobbing miserably, wrapping his weak, shaking arms around Brodi. All he could feel was pain, physical and mental, and he wanted to lay in Brodi's arms forever…

"Oh my God… Mackenzie… everyone…? They all did this?" Brodi asked in a shocked voice.

Mac nodded. "Everyone in the race… except you…"

Brodi nodded as well, silent tears slipping down his cheeks. He couldn't believe what had happened to Mac, how everyone could have done it to him, why they did it to him… all he could do now was comfort Mac and try to help him through it…

"Mackenzie, would you like me to call for help?" Brodi asked in an obviously fake calm voice.

"N-no! Please I… I just… don't…" As Mac spoke those words, the lodge door opened again and Brodi immediately looked to the door. He was relieved when he saw it was only Kaori, but flinched when she let out a scream.

"MAC!!!" Kaori shrieked and ran over to him and Brodi. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking, never before had she seen anyone like this before. "Mac! Brodi what happened to him?!"

"Kaori, please, go to Mackenzie's trailer and bring some fresh clothes, ok?" Brodi had seen the torn clothing on the floor by the couch, which saddened him even more, viewing evidence of the horrific event.

Kaori nodded and sprinted from the lodge, returning a few minutes later with a navy and white long sleeved shirt, a pair of plaid boxers and navy sweatpants. She handed them to Brodi, who laid Mac gently back on the floor.

"Tell me if I hurt you, alright Mackenzie?" Mac nodded weakly and let his head roll to the side, his eyes closed. Brodi began dressing him slowly, first putting on his boxers and sweatpants, then his shirt. Mac winced a few times but said nothing.

Kaori just watched, she was crying and stroking Mac's pale cheek gently with a shaking hand. "Brodi, is he going to be ok? Is he going to die?"

"I am pretty sure he is not going to die, Kaori, though his spirit may have died already…" Brodi said softly to Kaori. He then lifted Mac, one arm beneath the crooks of his knees and the other underneath his shoulder blades. Mac's head hung back and his eyes remained closed as Brodi carried him out into the cold. Kaori ran after them to Brodi's trailer and opened the door, following Brodi and Mac inside.

Brodi walked over to his bed and laid Mac down upon it carefully, the last thing he wanted to do was injure the traumatized teen further. Mac groaned softly and shakily rolled over onto his side, gasping in pain as he did so. Brodi pulled the covers up over him and sat down on the side of the bed, leaning down to kiss Mac's cheek.

"It's going to be alright now, Mackenzie… I'm right here with you… no one can hurt you now…" He whispered to Mac as silent tears continued to stain his cheeks. Kaori sat down in a chair next to the bed and stared at Mac fearfully, biting her nails.

"Please be ok, Mac… please…" She whispered to herself through her sobs.


	4. Betrayal

Chapter Four: Betrayal

WARNINGS: Sexual situations/references, Brodi/Kaori

Mac was fast asleep on Brodi's bed as the hours passed. Night fell quickly, and Brodi sat by Mac's bed for a while, staring at him in thought as the boy slept. Why would they do this to him… over a race? Poor Mackenzie… Brodi thought. He sat in his trance for a few more minutes, then stood.

"Kaori, are you going to stay the night?" He turned around to where Kaori was sitting, slouched in a chair by the table.

"Wha…? Oh, yes… I'm really scared for Mac! I don't want him to die on us!" Kaori squealed.

"Relax Kaori, Mackenzie isn't going to die!" Brodi chuckled softly and scooped her up in his arms. He took her over to the couch and laid her down, straddling her. "Let's get our minds off him for a little while…" Brodi leaned down and kissed Kaori.

Kaori and Brodi had been secretly dating for about a month. Secretly, because Brodi and Kaori both knew if Mac found out, he would be shattered. Brodi had feelings for Mac too, and as those feelings grew, what he felt for Kaori faded. He wanted to break up with Kaori, but figured he could use her while he had the chance…

Brodi and Kaori did everything but make love that night, Mac fast asleep through it all.

::Next Morning::

Brodi and Kaori sat on the couch together, kissing and holding each other. They had completely forgotten that Mac was in the trailer with them. Kaori was moaning softly, but not soft enough…

Mac stirred quietly on the bed, waking up to the sound of Kaori's moans. At first he brushed them off, too delirious to make anything of them. But as he lied there, he realized what he was hearing and gasped, sitting up and looking to the couch.

What he saw made his heart immediately shatter, and he jumped up.

"B-BRODI! KAORI!" Mac was freaking out, grabbing his head in agony and falling to his knees. "How could you?! Oh my GOD!" He jumped up again, tears streaming down his face. "BRODI YOU TRAITOR! I… I LOVED YOU!"

Mac ran out of Brodi's trailer in bare feet, to his own. He just fell to his knees again in the snow, sobbing against the trailer door. "Why… Kaori knew… she knew I liked him… but… I HATE YOU KAORI!" He screamed in agony, shattering the cool silence of the crisp winter morning. He stood up and flung open the door of his trailer, storming inside and slamming the door shut and locking it. He stumbled to his bed and collapsed on it, his anger fading to sheer misery. He thought about how he had been betrayed, and the memories of the previous day's events came flooding back to him. He cried out in agony and pulled the covers over his body, curling up in a tiny ball until he cried himself to sleep.


	5. Forgive Me

Chapter Five: Forgive Me

Brodi gasped when he heard Mac, staring at him in disbelief as the heartbroken teen fell to his knees. Kaori got off him and stared at Mac the same way Brodi did.

"Mackenzie, WAIT! Look, Kaori... I don't think I can be with you anymore..." Brodi said and jumped up, but Mac had already fled the trailer. He and Kaori both heard Mac scream into the morning, and Kaori started crying.

"I... I understand, but... he HATES me!" She sobbed and ran out of Brodi's trailer back to her own in almost the same manner that Mac had. Brodi was left alone, standing in the middle of his trailer, staring out the door Kaori hadn't cared to close. He sighed and sat down on his bed, still warm from where Mac had lain. He loved me… and I broke his heart…Brodi thought to himself. Brodi felt like he was falling in love with Mac too, but he had no chance now. He broke Mac's already shattered heart, in his time of weakness, his darkest hour.

"I have to do something…" Brodi whispered to himself and stood up, heading out of his trailer and towards Mac's. When he got there, he pressed his ear to the door and heard nothing. He was sure he'd be able to hear Mac crying, but there was nothing. "Mackenzie…? Are you okay in there…?" Brodi said loudly, listening for a response. "Oh God… Mackenzie?" his tone rose and when he still received no answer, he started to assume the worst. "MACKENZIE! I'm coming in there!" He yelled and grabbed the door handle, shaking it, but it was locked. He started to panic, taking his boarding pass from his pocket and using it to pick the lock. After a few minutes of trying, the lock on the door finally released and he burst inside. "Mackenzie, where are you?" He looked around wildly, but then spotted the lump of covers upon the bed, sighing in relief. Mac was asleep, that was all.

Walking slowly over to the bed, Brodi sat down on the edge of it, pulling back the covers and revealing Mac's sleeping body. "Mackenzie…" He whispered softly, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder and massaging it gently. "I'm sorry… I know you think I love Kaori now… but I don't… I love you, dear Mackenzie… I'm just too nervous to tell you in your waking moments… I love you," Brodi had leaned down and was whispering in Mac's ear. A tear fell from his eye and landed on Mac's cheek.

Mac felt someone touch his shoulder and he returned to consciousness, but remained motionless and silent. He listened to Brodi whispering to him, and felt tears coming to his own eyes. After Brodi had finished speaking, Mac couldn't hold his tears any longer, he started sobbing and he curled into a tighter ball.

"Brodi… I… I heard you… I wish I could believe what you said, but you're lying… I loved you, now just go away and let me sleep, okay?" He rolled over onto his back and looked up at Brodi, who in turn looked down at him, into his eyes.

"I am telling you the truth, Mackenzie. I've always had feelings for you. I don't know why I was with Kaori in the first place, but I broke up with her, because well, I'm gay…" Brodi blushed slightly and looked away from Mac.

"You helped me then betrayed me!" Mac sat up and stared at Brodi angrily. "How could you do that?"

"Mackenzie… I'm sorry. Please, forgive me…"

"I can't! I can't forgive you, because I was hurt and you rescued me now you betrayed me! I never want to see you again!" Mac didn't mean what he said at all. He wanted more than anything to forgive Brodi, but he had broken his heart… Brodi had been there for him after he was tortured and beaten, but Brodi only ended up ripping his heart out…

Brodi leaned down and kissed Mac's cheek gently before standing. "I love you…" He whispered and walked out of the trailer, back to his own again.


	6. SelfDestruction

Chapter Six: Self-Destruction

For the rest of the day, Mac did nothing except lie on his bed in a trance, staring at the plain white ceiling of his trailer. His torture kept playing over and over in his mind, like a horror film that wouldn't end. These thoughts were mingled with those of Brodi and how he betrayed him… breaking his heart like it was nothing. But did Brodi really love him? He was certain he'd never know… Night came and Mac fell into a deep but severely troubled sleep. Memories had been burned into his mind that would haunt him forever…

Morning arrived and Mac opened his eyes groggily. The day of finals had finally come. The final race. Brodi, Kaori, JP, Marisol, Seeiah, Eddie, and Mac. He was thankful that neither Luther, Psymon, nor Moby had made it to the finals. But even if they had, it wouldn't matter. Mac didn't plan on finishing the race.

As the hours passed and Mac finally managed to drag himself out of bed and into the shower, all he could think about was the race… not winning, not losing… but his final moments alive. He was planning on committing suicide upon the slopes of Garibaldi. He'd make it look like an accident, of course, but Brodi and Kaori would know what really happened. They would know his death was no accident, and they'd probably live with the guilt forever. But in Mac's opinion, dying with guilt was less painful than living with a broken heart. No matter how much fear resided in him, he wasn't going to chicken out.

The crowd was cheering wildly, and Mac heard them chanting his name. He was the favorite to win the race. But he hung his head in misery instead of lighting up with joy as he usually did, knowing that he would let down all his fans this time. In the end he didn't care though, he wouldn't let himself care. Mac strapped on his board and pulled his snow goggles over his eyes. This was it. He looked to each of his sides, Brodi on the left, and Kaori on the right. He ignored them both, since he couldn't bear look at either one of them more than a few seconds without bursting into tears. Mac was ashamed of himself for being so weak. But soon it wouldn't matter.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1. GO! Mac was fastest out of the gates, but slowed a bit to knock down Brodi. The biggest jump was nearing, only a few seconds away. Mac's heart was pounding insanely hard and he started feeling dizzy. He couldn't hear anything except the sound of his harsh, forced breathing, and his heart pounding inside his chest. He looked beyond the slope to the mountains, then to Brodi and Kaori whom had both pulled ahead of him. It would be the last time he ever saw them. He closed his eyes as he felt the ground end; he was suspended in the air, 2300 feet up… Opening his eyes, Mac looked down at the ground, and did a few weak flips, but instead of pulling back into an upright position, he stayed upside down. He wanted his neck to break and his death to be quick. With about 2 seconds to go until he hit the ground, he whispered, "I love you, Brodi…" then shut his eyes again. Everything was silent now, he braced himself for the impact, and then the world stopped.

Brodi cried out when he was knocked down, but didn't blame Mac, after all, he had broken the poor boy's heart. He got to his feet again and sped ahead of Mac, looking back at him with sad eyes. He noticed that Mac was sweating, and he seemed disoriented. Brodi didn't think anything of it until he jumped from the slope. He jumped much higher than Mac and watched him from above. His three weak flips, very uncharacteristic of Mac, who usually pulled insane tricks off the huge first jump. Brodi didn't do any tricks at all as he watched Mac, and what he saw next made him scream.

"MACKENZIE!" Brodi shouted as he saw Mac hit the ground headfirst. Only being about 10 meters above him, he heard the sickening crunch, the sound of Mac's breaking bones. As soon as Brodi hit the ground he skidded to a halt, kicking off his board and running to Mac. He fell to his knees by the boy, turning over his crumpled form and looking down at his face. His skin was tinged with blue and there was a large, bleeding gash on his forehead. Mac's goggles were askew and his arms and one of his legs were sticking out at sickening angles.

Brodi leaned down and put his ear to Mac's chest. He heaved a huge sigh of relief when he heard a light, labored heartbeat in him. He put his hand close to Mac's nose and mouth, and his panic returned when he felt that Mac was not breathing. He shouted desperately for the medics, and in the meantime leaned down and opened Mac's mouth, locking their lips and trying to get him to breathe again.

"Mackenzie… please breathe… I won't be able to live knowing I killed you… oh God… breathe…please..." He kept trying to get Mac to breathe, but it was seemingly useless. Each time he felt no breath from him. He stood up as the medics arrived and took a few steps away from Mac, but he fell to his knees again and burried his face in his hands. "I killed him… I killed him…"

Brodi watched in unbearable aguish as Mac was carried quickly away upon a stretcher to a nearby emergency helicopter. He watched it fly away and stood after a few minutes, strapping on his board again and finishing the race, in 5th place.


	7. Suspense

Chapter Seven: Suspense

Days passed without word of Mac. Brodi was in horrible condition, he stayed locked up in his trailer, refusing to eat, talk, or come out. Kaori was upset as well, she had found out what happened to Mac after Brodi had finished the race. The rest of the SSX Tricky lineup thought it was just a freak accident, and when either Kaori or Brodi was asked about it, they stuck with that story.

The time was coming for them to move onto the next track, Snowdream, which was halfway across the world in Japan. Mac would be stuck in a hospital in Canada while the rest of the boarders moved on, that is if he was even alive, and Brodi was afraid he'd never see Mac again.

A week passed before any word of Mac came. He was located in Surrey Memorial Hospital, British Columbia. As soon as Brodi received word, he knew he had to drive there as quickly as possible. He needed to see Mac, he had to speak to him again, even if it was the last time, he needed it.

Naturally Kaori begged to come along, and Brodi couldn't refuse her. They informed Rahzell of where they were headed to and gained his approval before they hurriedly drove 2 hours to the hospital. Once they arrived, Brodi parked and ran with Kaori into the hospital to the front desk.

Trying to stay calm, Brodi spoke to the receptionist. "Hi… I need to see Mackenzie Fraser, can you tell me where his room is?" Brodi's voice was shaking and he looked down at his feet, not even knowing if Mac was alive, and if he was, he hoped that the receptionist would be nice and not require him to be family.

"Hmm, Fraser…" the receptionist flipped through her record book. "He's currently in critical condition, located in ICU. I'm sorry, but we can't allow you to see him yet. We expect he'll be out of ICU and into a normal room in a few days."

Brodi sighed in disappointment. "Well can you tell me how he's been? What happened when he got here?"

"Look, I'm a receptionist, I deal with people like you, not patients. I can fetch his doctor for you, though. That is, if he's not busy. I'll be back in a moment." The receptionist stood up lazily and strode off through a set of doors into another wing of the hospital. Brodi and Kaori walked away sadly and took their seats in two chairs across the lobby. They waited about 10 minutes before the receptionist returned, beside her a tall, dark-haired man.

"Hello, sir, ma'am… my name is Dr. Williams. I was told you need some information about a patient of mine?" said the doctor.

"Yes… Mackenzie Fraser. He arrived here about a week ago, can you tell me what's happening with him?"

"Ah, yes I know who you're talking about. He was in a horrible snowboarding accident; it's a shame to see such young kids in here with horrific injuries such as his… He broke his left arm in 4 places, severely dislocated his right shoulder, broke and fractured his left leg in 2 places, and fractured 5 ribs. His neck and back are fractured in 6 places. At first we thought he was going to be permanently paralyzed, but when he awoke, he was able to move his arms and legs just fine when he shot up in complete disorientation shouting because he didn't know where he was." Dr. Williams smiled in amusement. "Anyways, he needed surgery on his spine and left leg to repair the damage."

Brodi cringed.

"Well anyways, as soon as he was admitted, he was put on life support, the poor kid was inches from death. Only yesterday did we take him off life support and now he's in ICU."

"Do you know how long it will be before we're allowed to see him?" asked Kaori, not trusting the receptionist.

"We plan on moving him to a regular room later today, and you may see him then, though I can't guarantee he'll be conscious. He was in a coma until three days ago, and awoke for a brief time only to pass out again, though he's not in a coma now." Said the doctor in a reassuring voice.

"Alright, well Kaori and I are going to wait here, so could you please inform us when we're allowed to see him? We're desperate…"

"Yes, of course sir." Dr. Williams' pager beeped, and he looked down at it, apparently he was needed elsewhere. "Well, I need to be going now, you two have a nice day and I will see you later." He smiled politely and strode off, leaving Kaori and Brodi there in the lobby, a bit relieved, for now.


	8. Bring Me to Life

Chapter Eight: Bring Me to Life

Hours passed with no word from the doctor. Kaori fell asleep leaning against Brodi, but Brodi was wide-awake, glancing at the doors from which the doctor came every few seconds to see if he was there. At about 8 o'clock, the doors opened and out came none other than Dr. Williams.

"Mackenzie has indeed been moved to a regular room. I can take you to his room if you'd like to see him now."

Kaori awoke when the doctor had entered the lobby, and she smiled brightly and jumped up. Brodi sighed in relief and stood up as well. They followed Dr. Williams up to the third floor and down a long, drab white hallway to room number 1016. He opened the door for Brodi and Kaori, smiling slightly as he closed it behind them and walked away.

Brodi rushed to Mac's bedside, looking down at him sadly. "Mackenzie…" he whispered, reaching down to stroke his pale cheek gently. Mac was fast asleep, his left leg and arm in casts, and his right arm in a sling. There was a bandage around his head from where he had been cut. Kaori started bawling at the sight of Mac like this, running to the opposite side of the room and collapsing into a chair. Brodi stood by Mac's bed for an hour, stroking his cheek and staring down at him sadly, hoping that he would awaken.

Finally Mac stirred, shifting around beneath the sheets and moaning softly. His brow furrowed before he opened his eyes halfway, looking up dazed at Brodi.

"B-Brodi…" He whispered in a hoarse voice, staring up at him and smiling slightly. "Can you tell me where I am…?"

Brodi laughed sadly at this, leaning down to kiss Mac's cheek. "You are in the hospital, Mackenzie. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Mac looked around, trying to remember. "Umm… the last thing I remember before waking up right now was in the finals at Garibaldi and… oh…" It seemed as though Mac had remembered what happened now. He remembered that he had attempted suicide, and apparently he had failed. "I… tried to kill myself, didn't I…" He whispered, looking sadly up into Brodi's eyes. "Please forgive me… I'm sorry, Brodi, I don't know--"

Brodi pressed a finger to Mac's lips, silencing him. "Shhh, Mackenzie… it's alright, you needn't worry about it. Kaori and I are just happy that you're alive…"

Mac smiled slightly and kissed Brodi's finger, closing his eyes and falling into another deep sleep.

Brodi turned to Kaori, who was still sobbing in the chair. "He's going to be okay, Kaori…"

"But… but look at him! He's all bandaged up and I bet he's in so much pain!" Tears stained Kaori's cheeks as she looked painfully over at Mac's sleeping form.

"Kaori, I think you've had enough emotional stress for one day now. Let's go back to Garibaldi and we can come back to see Mac in the morning, alright?"

Kaori nodded weakly and stood up, walking out of the hospital with Brodi. They exchanged no words; the only sounds coming from either of them were those of Kaori's soft sobs.


	9. Homeward Bound

Chapter Nine: Homeward Bound

Week after week passed, and Brodi and Kaori could only visit Mac two more times in the hospital before the SSX Tricky boarders headed off to Japan. Brodi promised that he'd win every race, just for Mac. And if he failed, Kaori would win instead.

Mac was sad to see the only two people who really cared about him leave. His father was informed of his condition, but the man didn't care. Mac's father was an abusive alcoholic, and Mac didn't really want his father to come anyways. But soon he'd have to go home again, weak and broken, at the mercy of his father. Mac cringed at the thought.

It had been nearly three months since Mac's suicide attempt, and he had been under close observation by the doctors and nurses at the hospital. He was dreading the day he'd have to go home, but of course, it came. Mac came out of the hospital on crutches, sighing when he saw his father standing by his beat up old truck, waiting to take him home. Mac's arm and shoulder had healed, and there was only a faint scar on his forehead, but his leg was still broken and in a cast.

He knew his father would be insanely angry, for having to drive all the way to British Columbia, Canada to get his good-for-nothing son and take him home. Mac pulled himself into the backseat of the truck, resting his leg across the seats. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the window and waiting for his father to interrogate him.

"So, Mackey, how the hell did you get so banged up?" His father said in a cold, mean voice that reminded him strongly of Luther.

"I didn't land right."

Mac's father laughed. "Shoulda known that was coming, you talentless brat. So are you gonna quit yet?"

"No."

"Well you're going to have to go back to school."

"Fine."

Conversation ceased from there. Mac missed Brodi already. Despite the heartbreak Brodi put him through, he still loved him very much. He knew that Brodi loved him too. Mac longed to lie in Brodi's arms, to kiss him and be with him again… But Brodi was halfway across the world by now. Mac sighed as a tear slipped down his cheek; he didn't know how long it would be until he could join back up with his fellow boarders again.

"Brodi…" he whispered softly to himself.

"What'd you say?" his father asked and Mac cupped his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide with fear that his father would find out he was gay.

"Um, nothing sorry dad!" He said hastily, panting and letting his head drop back against the window again. Mac eventually fell asleep in the truck, not stirring until they finally arrived at his house. His father got out of the truck and opened the door on Mac's side, smacking him hard on the head.

"Wake up, brat," he said coldly as Mac rubbed the spot on his head where his father had hit him. He couldn't take living with his father, he knew he had to somehow get back to boarding or he would go insane.

Mac stepped out of the truck on one leg and shook his head, blinking a few times. He was drowsy and tired, wanting nothing more than to collapse on his bed and take a nice long nap. He grabbed his crutches from inside the truck and closed the door, making his way up to his house. When he got inside he ignored his father, going straight past him and into his room. Laying his crutches on the floor he got into bed, covering his entire body with blankets and closing his eyes.

When Mac awoke it seemed as though he had only fallen asleep a few minutes ago, when it was in fact Monday morning. His alarm clock was buzzing and he reached blindly over to the bedside table, knocking the clock off onto the floor where it shut off.

"Ohh…" Mac moaned groggily and sat up in bed, swinging his legs over the side and stretching. "School… ugh…" He stood up on his right leg and hopped over to his closet, grabbing the nearest shirt and pants. It took him a good ten minutes to dress himself, his arms still hurt a bit and he had to find a baggier pair of pants to pull on over his cast. Thank God he would be getting it off in a few days, he couldn't stand being on crutches anymore.

Mac didn't get anything for breakfast, instead just headed out the door and grabbed the keys to his father's truck. Driving with a broken leg would be pretty hard, but he only needed his right foot anyways. He got inside and turned it on, driving away towards school even though he didn't have a license.

After he got to the school and parked, Mac grabbed his bag and slung it over his good shoulder. He walked into his school on the crutches, receiving plenty of stares from his old classmates. He assumed everyone had heard about the accident, they all knew Mac was a professional snowboarder and over half the school idolized him. The rest hated his guts.

Mac went through the day miserably, sleeping or daydreaming though every class. All he could think about was Brodi. Every day was the same, and Mac felt as if he were to go insane any minute…


	10. Alone

Chapter Ten: Alone

WARNINGS: Nudity, language

The day finally arrived that Mac would have his cast removed. His father reluctantly drove him to the hospital. This was nothing new to him, Mac was pretty sure he had broken every bone in his body at least once. He was relieved that finally he could walk again.

"Hey dad… I'm gonna skate home, okay?"

His father grunted in response and Mac retrieved his board from the back of the truck, riding off in the opposite direction his father sped out of the parking lot. It took Mac about an hour to get home, and when he did he was exhausted. Lying in a hospital bed and being on crutches so long took its toll on him, and he had to get back into shape.

But that was the last thing that was on his mind…

"Brodi…"

One year later:

Mac stirred in his sleep, moaning softly and rolling over onto his stomach. "Brodi… I… ohhh…" He started rubbing himself against his bed in his sleep, his moans growing louder and ending with a loud, pleasured cry as Mac released himself inside his boxers.

"Oh shit…" He had awoken and rolled over on his back to find a wet, uncomfortable sticky mess in his boxers. "Brodi… you make me so fucking horny…" He sighed and looked over at the clock on his bedside table. 6:31 AM. Mac managed to drag himself out of bed and into the bathroom, stripping himself of his boxers and t-shirt and stepping into the hot shower.

_God… Brodi, I wish you were here… I can't stop thinking about you. It's been so long, and I'm so lonely… it's driving me insane, Brodi… _Mac closed his eyes, deep in thought. He couldn't get the man he loved off his mind. He wondered if Brodi had found someone else, forgotten about him, or lost interest in him. But he'd find out soon, it was November and time to make his return to the SSX circuit. And be with Brodi again… Brodi…

Mac repeated his name over and over again in his head. Brodi was the only thing Mac ever thought about. His grades in school were horrible, he had no real friends, even though he was hugely popular, and everyone was always asking him why he refused to date any of the girls who chased him.

He didn't even end up washing before he turned off the water and got out of the shower. His wet hair hung before his eyes, he hadn't bothered cutting it in the year he had been home. Besides, he liked it longer anyways.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Mac walked out of the bathroom and into his own room. He closed the door behind him and stood before his mirror, letting the towel around his waist drop to his feet. Mac gazed at his own naked body, deep in thought. He had lost a lot of muscle in the last year, he hadn't worked out nearly as much as he used to, and it was taking its toll on him.

Mac hung his head and sighed, turning away from the mirror and collapsing on his bed. As much as he was looking forward to returning to snowboarding, he was scared. Deathly scared. He would have to face those who had beaten and hurt him again; he would have to compete against them, be near them… the thought made him sick. He needed Brodi there with him. Brodi was the only person who could comfort him and make it all better. But Brodi wasn't there.

"I gotta get out of here…"


	11. Fraser Returns

Chapter Eleven: Fraser Returns

A few more weeks passed, in the same boring, dead way the past year had gone. The SSX Tricky world circuit was just starting up for that year, the pack would be at Garibaldi in about a week. Mac knew he had to go there… maybe do something heroic and cliché like conquer his fear or something. He sighed sadly at the thought.

"I don't care about all that other stuff, I don't care about boarding… I just wanna see Brodi again…" it was sad for Mac to admit Brodi was the only thing he ever thought about. After a year of being completely alone, he was sure he had developed an obsession over the older man. His personality had also changed quite dramatically. He wasn't into DJ'ing anymore, and he had ignored all his old friends when they tried to talk to him. Mac had grown his hair out, and now it reached down past his ears. He started wearing darker colors, and secluded himself more than ever, listening to loud rock music instead of rap while sitting alone in his room. He didn't really care about himself anymore, and had even tried cutting his wrists. Mac didn't want to die; he just wanted to feel pain again. He wanted to make sure he was still alive to reassure him of the possibility of seeing Brodi again.

Mac looked down at the scars on his wrists. It wasn't a surprise that he was sitting all alone in the corner of his room again, brooding upon everything that had happened to him in his last days with his fellow boarders. But he knew relief was coming soon. He'd be with Brodi again. The previous day he had ordered a plane ticket to Garibaldi, British Columbia. In two days he'd be with him again… two days.

Two days later:

Mac literally rolled out of bed at 11 in the morning. He just laid on the floor for a while, but for once he was smiling. In a few hours, he'd be with Brodi again. But the thought of being with Brodi again made him slightly afraid. _Will Brodi still like me…? What if he doesn't love me like I love him… ohh man… Mac began to worry and sent himself into a state of deep anxiety. Please love me, Brodi…_

Sighing and languidly pulling on his clothes, Mac stood up and gathered his two suitcases and his board. His father had only agreed to drive him to the airport because he wanted to get rid of him. Both Mac and his father were glad to be ridden of each other.

The whole ride there was silent. There were only two words said the entire trip. "Get out," said Mac's father as Mac got out of the truck, grabbed his luggage, and kicked the door shut. _Bye, dad…_

Mac went through the normal airport routine, walking through all the security stops without any hassle. He got some lunch from a random airport café, sitting at the table with his head down. There were butterflies in his stomach as he waited for his flight to be called.

"Attention. Now boarding flight number 291 British Columbia, Canada." Said a woman's voice from overhead. Mac jumped when he heard the flight number and grabbed his luggage, not bothering to throw away his trash. He showed a man outside the boarding gate his ticket, and walked through into the plane. Finding his seat, Mac sat down and put on his headphones, blasting Blink 182 to the annoyance of those sitting around him.

Mac fell asleep on the plane a few minutes later, and didn't awaken until the plane arrived at its destination.

A fuzzy voice came over the speaker that awoke Mac. His CD had stopped playing a long time ago, and he groaned and stretched out.

"Man, are we there yet?" he said groggily.

A voice from beside him said, "Were you not listening to what the woman just said?" The man was referring to the voice that came over the speaker. Mac just shook his head; assuming that the man meant that they were indeed there.

"Finally…" he mumbled.

After Mac had gotten off the plane, he exited the airport and stood in front of the building. He assumed that he was probably about 10 miles from the actual course, and groaned. Damn it, how the hell am I gonna get there now… He thought to himself, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to think of a way.

"I got it!" he said out loud, gaining stares from a few people around him. As he pulled his cell phone from his pocket, he wondered why he hadn't used it during the year before to call Brodi.

He dialed Brodi's number nervously, and his hand was shaking as he held the phone to his ear. It rang.

"M-Mackenzie?"

"Uhh yeah… umm hi Brodi, I'm kinda at the airport and I need a lift to the track… can you give me one?" Mac's voice was quivering as he spoke to Brodi for the first time in over a year.

"Of course!" Brodi's voice sounded excited and overjoyed, he had missed Mac too in the year that he was gone. "I'll be right there, grasshopper, hang on okay?"

"Okay man… see ya." Mac hung up and dropped the phone into his pocket, his knees feeling a bit weak and he leaned on his silver board.

The minutes passed and no sign of Brodi yet. Mac dragged his things over to the wall of the building, sitting down there and pulling his knees to his chest. He put his head down on his knees and sighed softly. I love you, Brodi…

Just as he thought this to himself, a shadow appeared over him, and Mac looked up.

"Brodi!" he leapt up and embraced the man, squeezing him hard and crying. "Oh my God, Brodi I missed you so much…" Mac sunk to his knees, his arms still around Brodi's legs.

Brodi was a bit alarmed at Mac's enthusiasm, but hugged him back all the same. He reached down to ruffle Mac's hair as he held his legs. "I've missed you too, Mackenzie. I've missed you very, very much…" he said softly, picking Mac up under the arms and hugging him again. "Now let's go, shall we? The quarterfinals are tomorrow, and you should hit the slopes to practice before the race… but are you sure you're up to it? I mean, you do have a history with this track."

"Yeah, I'm okay, I just don't wanna go in the lodge, if that's alright with you…" Mac blushed and stared down at his feet, embarrassed and ashamed.

"Of course it's alright, Mackenzie." Brodi picked up Mac's luggage effortlessly and put it into the backseat of his silver Chevy Malibu. Mac got in the front and rested his head against the window, closing his eyes.

Brodi got into the driver's seat, leaning over and putting his hand on Mac's thigh, massaging it gently. Mac jumped at the sensation, then Brodi spoke "I'm glad to have you back again, my little grasshopper," Brodi whispered and turned on the ignition, heading off towards the mountain.

Mac fell asleep in the car, only to be shaken awake by Brodi when they arrived at Garibaldi. "Your trailer isn't here, Mackenzie, and it's been agreed that you will be staying in mine. The officials have appointed me as your… guardian, I guess; they were informed of the… err… incident last year, though they're keeping it quiet. Just in case you wanted to know why they didn't choose anyone else."

Mac nodded sleepily, but he quickly looked to Brodi, becoming completely alert when the 'incident' was mentioned. He knew exactly what Brodi was talking about, and cringed at the fact that other people knew besides Brodi and Kaori.

Brodi stepped out of the car and opened the door for Mac, then retrieved his luggage from the backseat. "Follow me, Mackenzie." Mac nodded and followed Brodi to his trailer, sitting down on the bed and folding his hands on his lap.

Setting down Mac's luggage, Brodi sat down next to Mac and put an arm around him. "You've changed, Mackenzie. Last year's events really took their toll on you, didn't they…" Brodi said sadly, kissing Mac's head and rubbing his hand over his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, now that I'm with you again… I… I love you, Brodi. I was going crazy without you, you're all I ever thought about." Mac whispered and put his arms around Brodi, laying his head on his shoulder.


	12. Shared Passion

Chapter Twelve: Shared Passion

WARNINGS: LEMON! (Graphic foreplay, no intercourse) if you're offended by this kind of stuff, GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!

"Shhh, Mackenzie. You're here with me now, it's alright." Brodi gently pushed Mac back on the bed, straddling him and leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I want you to know I love you too… you were probably thinking that I found someone else… but I've loved only you all along."

Mac looked up at Brodi, a bit shocked that Brodi knew what he was thinking. "I…" Brodi pressed his lips against Mac's to silence him, and Mac shivered as he felt Brodi unzip his jacket and slide his hands under his shirt, rubbing his fingers over his erect nipples.

"Do you want this, Mackenzie? I won't continue if you're not comfortable with me doing this to you," Brodi said to Mac, and Mac shook his head quickly.

"No! I mean… please, Brodi… I do want this…" Mac reached up and put his arms around Brodi, pulling him down on top of him. Mac kissed Brodi desperately, their tongues playing around each other's as they shared their first real, passionate kiss.

Brodi broke the kiss and knelt between Mac's legs, pulling off the younger boy's jacket and shirt. He leaned down to kiss Mac's stomach, and Mac felt a throbbing bulge growing in his pants. He moaned softly and shuddered, moving his hips upward and pressing his erection against Brodi's chest. Brodi felt it, felt Mac's burning desire for him, and sat up.

"Just tell me at any time if you'd like me to stop, Mackenzie, I don't want to hurt you," said Brodi, but Mac looked down to Brodi's crotch, it was obvious that Brodi was just as turned on as Mac was.

"P-please… keep going…" said Mac lustily, and he spread his legs further apart. Brodi slid his fingers down the waistbands of both Mac's pants and boxers, pulling them down his legs and letting them drop to the floor.

"Oh, Mackenzie… you are so beautiful…" Brodi whispered as he ran his fingertips over Mac's thighs, causing Mac to gasp and shiver.

"B-BRODI! Ohhh!" Mac was moaning uncontrollably as Brodi touched him. Mac had never felt anything like it before, such sweet pleasure pumping through every vein in his body.

"Shhh, my little grasshopper… the pleasure's only just begun, and there's plenty more for you…" Brodi whispered and gently pushed Mac's legs further apart, laying down between them. Mac's breathing was coming in quick, desperate gasps, and he almost choked on air when he felt one of Brodi's long, thick fingers pressing against his entrance.

"Brodi!" Mac cried. Brodi pushed his finger slowly forward, sliding it into Mac's tight, hot entrance, making him squeal and tighten his muscles.

"Mackenzie, relax now… you need to relax or else this will hurt you." Brodi reached up with his free hand and stroked Mac's cheek, leaning up to kiss him deeply. Brodi timed the thrusts of his finger into Mac's body with the thrusts of his tongue into his mouth, driving Mac wild in sensation. Brodi smiled at the squirming, whimpering Mac, then lowered his head, taking the tip of Mac's erection in his mouth. Mac moaned loudly, moving his hips upward sharply, his throbbing hardness sliding into Brodi's waiting mouth and down into his throat. Brodi moved his head up and down on it, licking up and down the shaft and sucking on the head gently. Slowly and carefully, Brodi slid a second finger into Mac's body, causing Mac to cry out suddenly. He was shaking and sweating; he wanted Brodi now, right now, he wanted Brodi to claim him for his own, to take him and make love to him and…

Brodi sat up again, and Mac groaned in frustration as Brodi's lips left his rock hard erection. Gently pulling his finger out of Mac's quivering body, Brodi began to undress himself, first his shirt then his pants and boxers. Mac's eyes widened at the sight of Brodi's naked body; it was so perfect… beautiful and smooth and tan, Mac moaned at the sheer sight of him… his lover… Brodi's muscular chest transitioned into his rock hard abs and slender hips, and between his legs was his solid erection, much larger than Mac's. Mac leaned his head back and closed his eyes, spreading his legs further apart, as Brodi pushed his finger back into him. As Brodi added a second finger, Mac was moaning wildly, he needed Brodi inside him; his body was aching with desire and want.

"I n-need you… Brodi… p-please… take me…"

Brodi and Mac continued in their journey together through the night, losing their virginity to each other. Nothing could have been more perfect as they melted into one another, joined as one, as lovers forever. Moans and gasps could be heard from inside the trailer, but faded into the cool November air, reaching no ears but their own. Time slipped into the early hours of the morning and their moans ceased as they slept, exhausted in a beautiful embrace, warm and safe and happy, without a care in the world.


	13. An Old Foe

Chapter Thirteen: An Old Foe

WARNINGS: Nudity, language

Sunlight poured through the windows of Brodi's trailer, illuminating the two naked tangled bodies on the bed, sound asleep. It was Brodi who first stirred; opening his eyes slowly and smiling at the sight of his dear Mackenzie beneath him, sound asleep.

Mac felt the weight lifted from him and awoke as well. "Brodi…" he whispered softly, opening his eyes halfway and looking up at his lover. Mac rolled over on his side and curled up, closing his eyes again and falling back into a light sleep.

Brodi smiled down at the sleepy Mac, then headed off to his closet to change into what he would be wearing to compete that day. After he was changed, he walked back over to the bed, putting his hand on Mac's shoulder and turning him over on his back again.

"Wake up, Mackenzie. Quarterfinals are in a few hours and you need to get dressed," as Brodi spoke, Mac gasped and shot up in the bed.

"What?! Aww man, no way! I haven't boarded in FOREVER!" Mac groaned in anxiety, threading his fingers through his hair and falling back on the bed.

"Well did you skateboard at all while you were gone?"

"Yeah… but that's different!" Mac cried, rolling around in the bed.

"It's better than nothing… just try to place in the top three for today, and we can board together afterwards if you like," said Brodi, trying to reassure the panicking Mac.

"Alright, that sounds good, but man I gotta get dressed! Maybe we could take some practice runs before the race…" Mac got out of bed and walked to his suitcase, dressing right there in the middle of the trailer. Brodi watched him and smiled.

Once Mac was dressed, he grabbed his board and Brodi's hand. "Dude, we gotta go!" he yelled, and Brodi, caught off-guard, almost fell after him, barely managing to grab his own board before being dragged out of his trailer. He ran down to the starting line with Brodi, the fans were just beginning to file into the stands, and no one else was around except Moby and Psymon chatting at the back of the start area. Mac saw them out of the corner of his eye, and lowered his head. He sat down behind the gates, strapping on his board and pulling on his hat and snow goggles. Brodi did the same and they both entered the gates; Brodi counted down from five and they sped off around the first turn, heading to the drop off which Mac had attempted suicide.

Mac started feeling dizzy again, just as he had that fateful day one year ago, but he shook his head, trying to ignore it. He was going to do his usual set of tricks off the slope, and nothing was going to happen. Just like always. 10 meters left. Mac sped up and before he knew it, he was no longer on the ground. He twisted and turned in the air, ahead of Brodi, who purposely stayed behind him to see if he was going to be alright. 100 feet from the ground. Mac pulled out of the twist and landed perfectly, speeding into the icy twists. Brodi breathed a sigh of relief, landing just after Mac and speeding after him.

Three minutes later the both of them sped across the finish line, Mac ahead of Brodi by about 3 seconds. When Brodi stopped in front of Mac, Mac was smiling up at him. Brodi couldn't have been more relieved. Not only did Mac simply survive the run, he had achieved a good time as well.

"Well, 15 minutes to race time. We'd better catch the lift and get ready, okay Mackenzie? That was a good practice run, you're just like your old self again!" Brodi said, and Mac smiled and nodded. They boarded over to the ski lift, holding hands all the way.

Mac stood ready on his board in the far right gate. Brodi was next to him, followed by Kaori, Moby, Psymon, and Luther. Mac couldn't stand being around Psymon, Moby and Luther, not after what they did, so he had one objective for this race: Get in first, stay in first, finish first.

Rahzell's voice suddenly boomed from the speakers. "A beautiful day here at Garibaldi, British Columbia! The long awaited return of Mac Fraser has finally arrived after a year's absence, and is the favorite in today's race! We should expect great things from the youngest boarder on the SSX circuit!"

Mac blushed as he heard the crowd cheering his name, but snapped to attention as the countdown began.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1. GO! Mac shot out of the gate, far ahead of everyone else. He could hear Psymon laughing behind him, and Moby yelled to him.

"Bloody slut, you're gonna wish you were never born!"

Mac groaned softly and looked over to Brodi, who had pulled up along side of him.

"Mackenzie, you can knock me over for a boost if you'd like, I think you're going to need it." The big jump was coming up fast, and Mac nodded, pushing Brodi in the chest and cringing as he watched him fall behind him. Mac did a few tricks off the cliff, and immediately sped up around the icy turns, doing small spins and flips to keep up his boost until the next ramp.

He was doing a pretty good job of staying ahead of the rest of them, doing insane tricks off the ramps and small spins on the flat ground. Occasionally he looked back to see Psymon or Moby or Luther sneering at him, and each time he sped up desperately, fleeing the people he hated so much.

Mac was approaching a small jump at the end of a downhill path, he only needed one more trick for a super boost, but out of nowhere Psymon blind-sided him and he fell face-first into the snow.

"AGHH!!" He cried and jumped up, speeding after Psymon only to receive a fist between the legs from Moby. He could hardly get up, let alone board, but biting his lip and trying to block out the pain, he sped off again, at least 200 meters behind everyone else. But there was a shortcut coming up that only he knew. It was fairly obvious, and Mac was surprised that no one else had noticed it yet.

He raced down a straightaway, not seeing anyone in front of him he groaned. The shortcut was right there… Instead of curving to the right, he rode straight off the lip of the turn, onto the ice below. First place, but he had landed right in front of Psymon, which was not good. Mac was on a nonstop boost, but Psymon was faster than him, right on his tail the whole time.

One last jump until the finish line. Mac was approaching fast, with Psymon right behind him. He was preparing to jump, but he shouted out as Psymon punched him in the back, sending him rolling down the hill and across the finish line, just after Psymon. Walking over to him, Psymon just looked down at Mac and laughed. Brodi finished a few seconds after, jumping off his board and walking quickly to Mac's side. He shot a cold look at Psymon, and Psymon took the hint, scowling and striding off.

"Mackenzie, are you alright?"

"Well, aside from the fact of having the shit kicked out of me by Psymon and Moby and Luther the whole race, yeah I'm fine. At least I got second…" Mac said, disgruntled, and he unstrapped his board and stood up, pulling off his hat and snow goggles. "We're both in the semi's now, thankfully."

Brodi nodded and ruffled Mac's hair. "Indeed we are. And I'm going to be right at your side the whole race. If Psymon tries anything, I'll be right there to shove him to the ground." Brodi smiled and leaned down to kiss Mac's head. "How about we head back up to my trailer? I'll bring some hot chocolate from the lodge and we can take a rest."

Mac nodded at the idea and hugged Brodi. "Let's go then."


	14. Return to Sanity

Chapter Fourteen: Return To Sanity

Holding hands, Brodi and Mac made their way back to Brodi's trailer.

"I'm gonna go to the lodge and get us that hot chocolate, okay Mackenzie?" Brodi asked.

"Alright," said Mac, looking up at Brodi and smiling.

Brodi opened the trailer door for him, and then closed it behind Mac once he had entered. Brodi headed off to the lodge, glad that Mac was alright again.

Opening the door to the lodge, Brodi looked around, seeing everyone except Kaori sitting around and watching tapes of last year's races. Laughing at crashes and knockdowns, cheering for themselves, etc., all under the influence of alcohol. Psymon turned around when Brodi entered the lodge.

"Well if it isn't Mackey's guardian angel!" Psymon yelled tauntingly, and the rest of the men and Zoe laughed. The rest of the women stayed silent.

"You think he could make it on his own after what you did to him? He's 16 years old for God's sake, and he was 15 when you beat the kid bloody!" Brodi yelled back angrily, marching away into the kitchen. Speaking of Mac's torture brought tears to Brodi's eyes as he made their hot chocolate. He listened to everyone laughing and talking in the other room, they didn't care about the pain that Mac had to go through at all and it made him sick.

He walked briskly out of the kitchen and through the room everyone was in, ignoring their teases and taunts. He carried two mugs of hot chocolate by the handles in one hand, being careful not to spill any as he walked out of the door and slammed it behind him. He walked as quickly as he could back to his trailer, entering and closing the door behind him before setting the mugs down on the table.

Mac was lying on his bed quietly, his back to Brodi.

"Mackenzie?" Brodi approached the curled up ball on his bed and sat down next to it, putting a hand on Mac's shoulder and rolling him over onto his back. Mac smiled up at Brodi. "Hello there, love," Brodi whispered as he leaned down to kiss Mac gently. "Hot chocolate's here." He got up and took one of the mugs over to Mac, who had sat up and took the mug gratefully from him.

Mac took a sip and sighed. "Thanks, Brod," he said softly, setting his mug down on the bedside table.

Brodi pulled Mac closer to him, putting his hand on Mac's thigh. "I love you, Mackenzie…" He said, rubbing Mac's back gently with the other hand. "I can tell when something's wrong."

Mac look surprised, then looked up at Brodi. "You're good," he said, resting his head against Brodi's shoulder. "But to tell you the truth, I don't really know what's wrong… it's just this feeling I have, I don't know… a sad feeling, I can't really describe it."

Brodi nodded. "I understand… and I want to make you feel better. So how about we drink our hot chocolate together, and call it a day? Today's race was pretty tiring."

"Alrighty," Mac said, taking his hot chocolate from the bedside table and drinking a few swallows. Brodi stood up and retrieved his mug, drinking half of it in one gulp, then sat down with his lover again.

"Mackenzie, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm always here to listen to you. I love you, and I want to help you in any way I can," said Brodi in a concerned voice.

"I know, and thanks. I really appreciate it," said Mac, nuzzling Brodi's shoulder before drinking the rest of his hot chocolate and setting the empty mug down on the bedside table. Mac lied back on the bed, staring up at Brodi, and watching him finish his own hot chocolate. Brodi lied down with Mac, and pulled him into his arms.

"I love you, my little grasshopper… forever," Brodi whispered to Mac as he pressed his body against the smaller boy's and kissed his head.

"I love you too… forever…" Mac whispered softly, closing his eyes and putting a leg over Brodi's waist. Brodi smiled and ran his fingers through Mac's hair. He pulled the covers over both of them, falling asleep with his lover held tight in his arms.

Le Fin… for now.


End file.
